Heart to Heart
by babyphd
Summary: What if Jed had something more serious than the flu? Spolier: He Shall From Time to Time
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

CRASH!

The noise from the Oval Office was deafening.

The Senior Staff, who had been talking in the hall, turned to see what the problem was and saw the President face down on the floor with a broken crystal pitcher in pieces around him.

Before they could reach him, the Secret Service Agent always posted outside the door ran to the stricken president. "Liberty is down!"

Other staff entered from the administrative area.

Multiple hands reached to check the President for a pulse. There was none.

"No pulse! Get the doctor here now!" Agent Anderson screamed into his hand mike.

The agent turned the President over and checked for breathing. No breathing either.

Agent Anderson immediately began CPR. A second agent knelt down to begin chest compressions. "One and two and three and four and five." Anderson forced air into the stricken President's lungs.

"One and two and three and four and five." Again another breath.

Someone brought in the automatic defibrillator from the hallway. Trained agents opened the container, place the adhesive pads on the President's chest and placed them in the appropriate position to assess his heart pattern.

Within seconds the mechanical voice said "Shock needed"

"Clear!"

The agent pressed the shock button and hundreds of volts entered the President's body. He shook violently with the intensity of the volts.

The machine analyzed the pattern once again. "No shock needed"

The machine's display showed that, as of right now, the President of the United States had regained his heartbeat.

Anderson checked the President's neck for a pulse. "There's a pulse!"

By this time Ron and Admiral Hackett had arrived.

The physician immediately took over the care of the President.

"I hope there's an ambulance on the way!"

"Yes." Ron answered.

Admiral Hackett was listening to the President's lungs and trying to assess his status. He placed an oxygen mask over his face. He quickly inserted an IV line in his arm and pushed some medication to stabilize his condition.

The others in the office were just watching this unfold.

Leo was watching anxiously. It was not only the President of the United States lying unconscious on the floor, but also his best friend for over 40 years. Josh and Sam were both stunned and frozen in place. Toby was holding CJ's hand and both silently hoping that the President would recover.

"What's wrong?" Leo anxiously asked.

Dr. Hackett briefly looked up from beside the stricken, unconscious President and said "Heart attack. I'll know how bad it is after I get him to the hospital."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Two days earlier Jed was sitting at his desk in the Oval Office. He was worried about the State of the Union speech. It was just not coming together. Sam and Toby were working on it, but the pace and the writing was just not up to par.

It was late and he was tired.

Abbey had already called down, and asked him when he was coming to bed. He told her it might be a while so she should go on to bed without him. She agreed. It had been a busy holiday season and she had yet to get any solid rest. And an overnight trip was coming up and she never slept well on the road.

Unconsciously, Jed rubbed his right shoulder. It was a dull ache that had been there for a couple of days. Jed figured that he had just pulled a muscle or it was simply old age. Sixty years was not old, but he still had the aches and pains that came with those long years.

About an hour later he finally left the Oval Office and headed toward the Residence. He walked slowly as the fatigue from the last few weeks just overwhelmed him. He quietly opened the bedroom door and noticed a light was still on next to Abbey. She was sound asleep, but still sitting with papers strewn around her.

Quietly, Jed moved the papers off the bed and took her glasses.

"Hi, hon."

The soft voice of his wife startled him. Her green eyes looked at him through sleepy lids.

"I was waiting up for you, but I guess I fell asleep."

"I told you to go on to sleep."

"I know, but I hoped you wouldn't be much longer. What time is it?"

"Almost midnight. Now go to sleep."

"Okay."

By the time Jed had changed clothes, the rhythmic breathing next to him assured him that Abbey was sleeping.

He pulled back the covers and cuddled next to his wife.

He quickly dropped off to sleep himself.

The next morning, Abbey had already left when Jed woke up. Looking at the clock he saw it was already 6:30. Why hadn't Charlie called? His normal wake-up call was always 5:30 and never past 6.

He didn't have time to worry about the reason. He jumped in the shower, dressed and drank the cup of coffee that had appeared while he was in the bathroom.

Charlie was waiting for the President as he exited the bedroom.

"Why didn't you call me? I'm almost late for my first meeting."

"The First Lady asked me to let you sleep a little longer. She said you had been working late and needed some more rest."

Jed made a note to tell Abbey that she should stop running his life. As President he had certain responsibilities and none of them were labeled 'Get Rest'.

"That's okay, Charlie. It's not your fault."

As the President moved through the main floor of the White House heading toward the West Wing, the ache in his shoulder became more intense. It really wasn't pain per se but definitely more intense then it had been. A throbbing ache would probably describe it best.

Jed ignored the sensation and worked the rest of the day. Lunch on the run. Normal. Meetings, papers to be read, documents to sign. Normal. It really never ended.

And then this speech. It was very important to tell the country what the President's agenda would be for the upcoming legislative year. It needed to be clear and easily understood. It needed to make a statement for the country's future, and where the President wanted the country to go. Josh had some very specific ideas about the content of the speech, but Toby and Sam disagreed. Toby was having meetings with various Congressmen, but that only slowed things down.

Everybody wanted the President to say something specific about one of their pet projects. It was almost like Jed was Santa and everyone wanted to get on his list. It just wouldn't happen. Jed would listen to the arguments and make some final decisions during the practice run scheduled for the next day. Hopefully by then, the speech would be in better shape than it was now. It had put even more stress on the President.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That evening he finally talked to Abbey. They had had a quiet dinner in the Residence and were cuddling on the sofa in front of the fire.

"Abbey, I want to ask you something."

"Sure babe. What is it?"

"Are you trying to run my life?"

These words caught Abbey off guard. She jerked out of his arms and looked into those blue eyes she loved so much.

"What are you talking about?"

Jed expected this reaction from her, but hoped it wouldn't escalate into something bigger. They both had a tendency to show their tempers, especially when something is said that the other one just doesn't like.

"I don't want you to tell Charlie not to wake me. I almost missed my first meeting today and didn't have any time to eat breakfast. So please don't do that again. I can manage my life myself. I don't need your help."

Jed took another look at Abbey and saw fire.

"What do you mean? Stay out of your life? You've been working hard lately and the dark circles under your eyes told me that you needed some rest."

Before Jed thought, he said, "I'm not a little child! I'm a grown man and President of the United States and I do not need my wife acting as my mother and telling me when to go to bed and when to get up!"

By now, the feelings on both sides were out of control.

"I am not your mother, but I am your wife and your doctor! I care deeply for you and don't want you to get into any trouble." Abbey was not speaking softly.

The words "Multiple Sclerosis" hung like an invisible curtain between then.

"Abbey! I love you, but stay out of my life! All I want is for you to butt out! And you certainly should not bring Charlie into the middle of this. I felt sorry for the young man this morning. He got caught in an argument between a husband and his wife and that should never happen!"

The volume of the argument just got louder and louder.

Abbey got up and went into the bathroom. She knew when Jed got this way there was no possible ending that would bode well. The best thing to do was to let him cool down and then talk to him. She had been his wife for over thirty-five years and knew no fight was ever complete until he cooled down.

When she came out, she noticed that Jed had left.

"Good riddance! Maybe he'll calm down." Abbey said to no one in particular.

Abbey got into bed and immediately turned off the light. She was definitely not going to wait up for him tonight. In fact, maybe he'll take the hint and sleep in one of the guest bedrooms. That would certainly suit her just fine!

With a big sigh, she nestled into the pillow and almost immediately fell asleep. She certainly did not have a guilty conscience.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jed had left the Residence because he knew when Abbey got this way all he could was leave so she would calm down.

As he walked back to the office, he saw that Toby and Sam were still in their offices. He strolled into Toby's office to see what was going on.

"Good evening, Mr. President. Can I help you?" asked Toby as he stood.

"No. I'm just wandering. What are you doing?"

"Sam and I are writing about the tenth draft of your speech. But it is really difficult when Josh comes flying in the door and says 'What about this' and 'What about that'. Just as we get the changes complete, he comes in again. Do I have your permission to kill him?"

For the first time in several days Jed laughed. "Toby, that's just Josh. I'm sure you and Sam can handle him."

About that time Josh came flying in without seeing the President.

"Toby, have you thought about… Oh, I'm sorry Mr. President. I didn't know you were in here."

"That's okay, Josh. I was just asking Toby how the speech was coming. Will it be ready tomorrow?"

Toby rolled his eyes and said something under his breath.

"What did you say?" asked the President.

"Mr. President, I said that the speech would be ready unless we're attending Josh's funeral."

As Jed laughed again, Josh looked from one man to another. "Huh?"

"Josh, I'm leaving now. If you survive, I'll see you tomorrow."

Jed turned and left the room still smiling. He had the best staff any President could have. 'But sometimes,… Well hell, oil and water rarely mix.'

He headed toward his desk. Leo's light was off. He must have given up on having the speech done tonight and gone home. 'Good,' Jed thought. 'Leo would work all night if he had to, but sometimes he needed rest.'

Jed sat down and started reading some papers. That tightness on his shoulder came back. This time, however, it was more painful than ever. He reached into his drawer and took two Advil. 'That'll take care of it,' he thought.

When he finally looked at the clock, it was after midnight. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his eyes and decided maybe it was time to go to bed.

Abbey would be asleep for sure. He just didn't feel like getting into anything else tonight. Hopefully he could slip into bed unnoticed. He thought 'Fat Chance!' but she was not the only one who wanted to sleep in their own bed.

On his return to the Residence, Abbey was indeed sound asleep. Jed changed clothes and got into the bed. But instead of cuddling with his wife, which was his normal style, he turned his back to her and pulled the covers around him. He just didn't want to think about their earlier discussion right now.

Shortly, he fell asleep, but dreamed that he and Abbey were separated by a giant chasm. And neither one of them cared.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Abbey rolled over and looked at her sleeping husband. Whatever time he had come to bed last night was too late. He just looked so tired.

She watched his breathing. Watched his chest rise and fall. How she loved doing that in the early mornings. The few mornings that is that she didn't wake up all alone.

She hated to fight but it was Jed's fault. Abbey knew she was right. Looking after her husband's health 'was' her job. It didn't matter if she was a doctor or not. Didn't matter if he was President or not. As his wife, she was responsible for him staying healthy. At least until the dreaded 'm' word raised its ugly head.

This job was killing him.

Slowly.

Day by day.

But it was surely killing him.

She was acutely aware of how the Presidency and its stress always aged the person in the office. Eisenhower with a massive heart attack. Woodrow Wilson and his stroke. And untold other illnesses related to the stress of the Presidency that were never made public. The job was relentless and never allowed time to just kick back and take it easy.

She was always afraid of the phone calls from Leo. Or from Hackett. She feared that one day they would call and say Jed was dead. Dead from the stress. Dead from being President.

And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

But the bright thing was that they were two years into his four year term and Jed had promised that it would be all. They had a deal. And she was going to see that he kept it.

Abbey leaned over and kissed Jed gently on the lips.

He smiled.

"Hey, how long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know you've been looking at me." Jed rolled over, gazing into his wife's beautiful green eyes. "About last night?"

Abbey could feel herself getting tense. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I didn't mean to yell, but you can't control my life."

"Why not?"

"Abbey," in the most warning tone he had.

Abbey turned and threw off the covers. "I can do anything I want to, Jed. I'm your damn wife unless you've forgotten that as well"

"Abigail!"

Jed got out of bed and stood in front in Abbey as she crossed his path heading to the bathroom.

"What, Jed? I love you and want to protect you. Don't you understand that?"

"You can't! I have certain responsibilities and you can't override them." His anger only served to increase the pain in his shoulder. Rubbing it seemed to do no good. "God, it's terrible to get old."

"Jed, listen. I'm leaving town this morning for a two-day trip. We'll talk more about this when I get back. Now let me in the shower."

Jed stood back, allowing Abbey to pass. As the door shut, he replied, "No, we won't talk about this anymore!"

Continuing to rub his shoulder Jed sighed. He hated when they fought and one of them was leaving. Everything seemed so unfinished.

But he knew that he had to get dressed and leave for the office. Maybe this fight would be better solved after Abbey returned. After she had a chance to cool off.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

CJ and Josh were watching the President's practice session on a monitor.

"CJ?" Josh asked. "Do you think the President looks very well? He's sweating and seems more cranky than normal. He also seems to be rubbing his right arm almost constantly."

"Yeah, I noticed that as well. Wonder what's wrong?"

"Well, he was roaming the West Wing late last night. Do you think he and the First Lady had a fight?"

CJ looked at Josh. "You know, that's none of our business. What happens behind their doors should stay behind them."

"Well, gee whiz, CJ. I was only asking."

"Shut up Josh."

"Okay."

They continued to watch the monitor. The President was having a hard time staying focused on the prompter. Every fifth word he would stumble and then try to start again. This was obviously not doing anybody any good.

Finally, Leo took matters into his own hands. "Let's take a break."

The President gathered up his papers and headed toward the office.

"Mr. President, is everything okay?"

Jed turned to Leo and said, "I just don't feel well. Let me rest for a few minutes and then we can start again."

"Mr. President, do you want me to call a doctor?"

"No Leo," a bit of anger in his voice. "I just don't feel well. I just need to rest."

Jed turned and headed to the office.

Leo and the rest of the staff followed.

"Mr. President?"

Jed turned to the sound of CJ's voice. "Yes?"

"You don't look so good."

Frustrated, Jed let loose. "I'm fine. And I don't think my health is any of your business."

A joint "Yes sir" echoed through the hall next to the Oval Office.

Jed turned and went into the office.

Knowing that the President was not in a good mood this morning, Leo motioned for the staff to stay out in the hall. As they stood in the hall, talking about getting the speech right…

CRASH!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The ambulance arrived immediately.

The Secret Service pushed the stretcher toward the entrance, clearing the path ahead of it. Every staffer who they passed was shocked to see the leader of the Free World unconscious with an oxygen mask over his face being rushed toward a waiting ambulance.

Dr. Hackett, Ron, and Leo followed the rapidly moving stretcher.

"I'm going with you."

"No, Leo," said Dr. Hackett. "You need to notify the First Lady and get her to GW as soon as possible. Then come."

As much as Leo wanted to go with his long-time friend, he knew that only he should break the news to Abbey. He nodded as Dr. Hackett and Ron got into the ambulance beside the still unconscious President.

Leo knew that this was very serious. Something mild and the President would be giving directions to the doctors. He probably would be balking at going to the hospital as well. Even though he was married to a doctor, Jed hated doctors and hospitals.

As Leo walked back to the office he wondered what he was going to tell the First Lady. He hoped the words would come easily.

The Senior Staff were waiting in his office.

Without a word from the Chief of Staff, finally Josh asked the main question. "The President, is he going to be okay?"

"The only thing I know is that he is on his way to GW. Hackett didn't want to spend the extra time going to Bethesda. The President was still unconscious as the ambulance left. And I have to call the First Lady. Anybody volunteering?" Leo looked around his office at the faces full of concern for their boss. "If not, then get back to work. You know what you need to do. CJ, work on a draft press release with Toby, and I will approve it after I talk with the First Lady. Okay?"

They nodded yes. They were glad they had something to do. At least something would occupy their hands, even if their minds were at the hospital.

"Margaret! Get me the First Lady!"

In a matter of seconds Leo was talking with Abbey. "Where are you now?"

"On board the plane. We're just about ready to take off."

"Abbey…Jed had a heart attack a few minutes ago in the Oval Office." Leo heard a gasp on the other end. But he had to continue. "They had to shock him at least one time and he is on his way to GW. Hackett and Ron are with him."

Hesitantly, as her voiced cracked, she knew she had to ask the question, "Oh god Leo, is he dead?"

"No, Abbey. He was alive when the ambulance left here. But it's serious and Dr. Hackett said for you to come to GW right now. Your detail has already been notified and they're ready to bring you back to town."

"Oh Leo!" as Abbey started to cry. "I'll be right there. Bye."

Leo had wanted to say 'Hurry Abbey' but the she had disconnected the line before he could speak.

Leo turned to take care of immediate business, but his heart was already focused on the President. He only hoped he would see him again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

George Washington University Hospital, located just minutes from the White House, has treated many presidents. Because of the seriousness of the situation, both Hackett and Butterfield automatically determined that GW was the best hospital. Advance agents had already arrived at the hospital and cleared the Emergency Room out of all but essential personnel. Trauma Room 1 was readied for the President.

The head of Cardiology, Dr. Richard Martin, and the head of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Susan Jones, were paged and arrived in the ER within minutes. After being briefed by Dr. Hackett from the ambulance, Dr. Martin called the heart cath lab and told them to be on standby. They and their staff were ready when the ambulance with the President pulled up to the back entrance.

As soon as the stretcher was out of the ambulance, Dr. Jones was getting a report from Dr. Hackett while making an initial assessment.

"BP 100 over 50. Pulse 120 and weak. Sinus rhythm with occasional PVCs. O2 mask at 30. Conscious but groggy. Responds to commands. IV Normal Saline 100 cc/hr."

The doctors were glad that the President was conscious, but they knew there were still possible complications ahead.

The stretcher was pushed into the trauma room and locked.

At this point, Dr. Hackett stepped back and let the staff do their jobs.

Heart monitor pads were placed on his chest and attached to the monitor. The oxygen mask was switched to hospital equipment. The IV was hung from a hook above the bed.

Orders were coming from both doctors at the same time. "Chest x-ray. CBC, cardiac enzymes. Morphine."

Their staff was well-trained and knew exactly what to do. To a casual observer it might look like chaos. But to a trained observer it was a carefully scripted ballet whose main focus was to save a life.

In a matter of minutes, Dr. Jones and Dr. Martin decided that the best action was an immediate catherization to assess any blockages and hopefully open blocked vessels.

Dr. Martin leaned over the stretcher. "Mr. President? This is Dr. Martin. We need to know how bad the heart attack was and try to open whatever is blocked. We are transferring you to the cath lab immediately."

The President nodded his understanding. Marriage to a thoracic surgeon allowed him a head start on the medical jargon that was flying around him.

Jed looked around the room, finally spotting Ron nearby. He motioned to him and Ron walked over and bent down. "Yes, sir?"

Struggling to talk through the oxygen mask, Jed moved it aside. "Abbey?"

"Sir, she's on her way. Mr. McGarry caught her at the airport before she left."

"Tell her…"

"Yes, sir, tell her what?"

Jed momentarily closed his eyes, but somehow found the strength to finish. "Tell her I love her."

Even stoic Ron felt his eyes moisten. "Yes, sir. I'll tell her."

Dr. Jones stepped forward. "Mr. President, we really need to go."

Jed closed his eyes and nodded. He was satisfied that, should anything happen, at least Abbey would hear his last words.

The stretcher was rapidly pulled into an elevator and taken to the sixth floor. This floor contained three cath labs as well as an operating room. This room was currently being prepared in case emergency surgery was needed. Everyone hoped this would not be the case.

Ron had already sent an agent to the cath lab to scout the area. Ron himself would also accompany the President wherever he went. No matter where the President was, protection was automatic. Even during open heart surgery, if it came to that.

"Do you want to observe?" Dr. Martin asked the President's doctor while scrubbing his hands at the sink outside the cath room while the President was being prepared.

"Yes, I would. I care about him like he's a brother. Anything I can do to support him I will certainly do."

Dr. Martin smiled. He had heard about the loyalty of the President's staff to the man lying inside the room. And he was finding out it was true.

"When is Mrs. Bartlet supposed to arrive?"

"Any minute, from what I've been told. She was preparing to leave on a trip when she was contacted so she's on her way."

"Good. He may need her when this is all over. Put on some scrubs and come on in. Glad to have you."

Pushing the doors open, Dr. Martin stepped in. "Okay, folks. Let's get started." Again, a well-trained staff automatically stepped into their roles and performed their job to perfection.

"Mr. President, can you hear me?"

Jed sluggishly nodded his head. The President had been given some morphine in the Emergency Room so Dr. Martin did not order any medication for relaxation and sedation. Due to past reactions, Dr. Hackett knew that the President didn't really care what was going on around him at the moment.

"Are you having any pain?"

Jed shook his head.

"Good. Just try and relax. We'll be finished in a few minutes."

Dr. Martin numbed the site in the groin with local anesthesia and made an incision. Next, he inserted a thin plastic tube into an artery. A long, narrow, hollow tube was passed through the sheath and guided up the blood vessel to the arteries in the President's heart. A small amount of contrast material was injected through the catheter so Dr. Martin could better assess the President's blood vessels, heart valves, and heart chambers on a TV screen.

"Okay, what do we have?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The trip from Andrews seemed to take forever.

'What signs did I miss?'

'A heart attack has signs. I should have picked up on them. I'm a thoracic surgeon for God's sake.'

'Why didn't I see this coming?'

'Why didn't he tell me he wasn't feeling good?'

'Was it the fight we had that brought it on?'

'Oh, God, Jed. Please live. Please.'

Tears tried to escape from her eyes but her resolve held them back. She had to be in control right now. She couldn't let go.

'I need him. Oh please God, please let him live.'

Finally the Suburban pulled up the side of the hospital. Although it had only taken thirty minutes, to Abbey it seemed like forever. She had received a brief call from Leo telling her that Jed had been taken to the cardiac cath lab, but since then there had been no news. However, she knew that anytime a person had to be shocked back into rhythm it wasn't good.

The press had already started to arrive. The cameras clicked as she got out of the car but she had only one focus—to get to her husband.

Her agents held the door open as she entered the Emergency Room. A woman in a white lab coat approached her. Abbey stopped her progress, holding her breath while the other person approached.

"My husband…how is he? Is he…"

"Dr. Bartlett, I am Dr. Susan Jones. I took care of the President during his short stay down here. Dr. Martin has him in the cath lab at the moment and he remains stable. I should be getting another update shortly. Arrangements have been made for you to wait in a suite on the seventh floor. If you'll follow me, I'll be glad to show you to your room."

Abbey knew she had gotten about all the information she could, so she walked with Dr. Jones toward the elevator and the inevitable wait. The procedure would normally take about 2 hours, especially if stents were inserted to open any blockage. This was the part that Abbey hated. Being on the waiting end rather that the action she was so used to. But she was family now, not the doctor in charge. She knew what was going on and all she could do was pray that there would be no problems.

The two women entered the suite that had been set aside for the First Lady's use. The suite consisted of two small sofas, some chairs, a small table, and a bathroom off the side. Some ice and bottles of water had been set on table along with some fruit. But Abbey didn't want anything to eat or drink right now. She just wanted to know about Jed.

In a few minutes, Dr. Jones's beeper went off. Susan looked at the number and walked over to the telephone. "Yes?"

Abbey tried to listen to the conversation, but she was talking so softly she couldn't quite make out what was being said.

Dr. Jones hung up and turned to face Abbey. "That was Dr. Martin. The President's vessels are too occluded for any type of stent. There are at least five bypasses that have to be done. The President is being prepped for immediate open heart surgery. We have an operating room already prepared."

Abbey sat down abruptly. "I want to see him before he goes into surgery."

"I'll page Dr. Martin with your request."

"No. You don't understand. It's not a request."

"Yes, ma'am. Let me check downstairs."

In less than a minute, Abbey was on her way down a flight of stairs to see her husband.

Pushing the door open to the pre-op area, the first thing she noticed was Ron dressed in scrubs, standing next to an isolated stretcher.

He nodded as she quickly walked over. Taking one quick look at his charge, Ron then stepped away to allow for some privacy.

Jed was still groggy from the morphine, so there wasn't much of a conversation. Still, Abbey had to touch him for at least a minute and say words of encouragement.

She leaned over the stretcher and kissed him gently on the forehead. Touching his hand, she told him, "You'll be fine, pumpkin. I'll be waiting for you. I love you, Jed Bartlet. You come back to me, okay?"

Abbey barely saw a nod of Jed's head but knew he had at least heard her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. We have to go." The nurse unlocked the wheels and pushed Jed away from Abbey. She noted that Ron followed him and was jealous that she couldn't do so as well.

As the doors closed between them, Abbey felt the hollow place in her heart that could only be filled by the return of a healthy husband.

She turned and went back to the family room.

Tears would have to wait until later.

She had things to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The first thing was to pull Dr. Hackett aside. "Did you tell Jed's doctor about his problem?" She didn't want to say the words in case others overheard.

"Yes, ma'am. Dr. Martin has been told about everything. They'll take the precautions they need to."

"Thanks. Jed can't face this major surgery without those precautions."

"Ma'am?"

Abbey turned. "Yes?"

"I have the President's wedding ring."

Abbey looked down at the gold band Hackett was handing to her. It had never been off his finger as far as she knew. Holding it in her hand made her finally realize this was not somebody else's surgery, a surgery she could disassociate from. It was family. It was her husband. It was her soul mate in that operating room.

"Thanks." She tried to keep her voice calm, even though she was shaking inside.

"One more thing."

Abbey looked at the Chief White House physician, trying to push back the tears that threatened to fall. "Yes?"

"He asked Ron to tell you that he loves you."

With those words Abbey's knees weakened and if Hackett hadn't reached out for her, she would have ended up on the floor.

But reality finally stepped in. She had to stay strong. She had to be strong for everyone else.

Squaring her shoulders, she regained her balance and headed down the hall. She was the only thing she had control over at the moment. The rest had to be left to the trained staff and a Higher Power.

Abbey returned to the seventh floor to find a tearful Zoey. "Mom, is Dad okay?"

"Honey, he's gone to surgery. During the cath, they found five places in the heart vessels that were closed off and they decided surgery was the best option. It'll be hours before we know the outcome."

"Mom, I'm scared."

Hugging Zoey, Abbey knew that feeling. "Yes, hon. Now I have to call your sisters. Why don't you go over there and find something to eat? It's going to be a long night."

After calling Ellie and Liz, Abbey called the White House.

"Leo, have you been brought up to date?"

"Yeah. Is it as serious as I think?"

"Yes. That many vessels blocked and his fresh heart attack will not make the surgery any easier. The doctors have their work cut out for them."

"Do you want me there?"

"Leo, I really do. The girls lean on me, but I need support right now. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I have to get the Vice-President sworn in but I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks."

Within an hour Ellie had come down from Baltimore, but Liz couldn't get there until tomorrow. Abbey promised her that she would keep her informed about her father.

Leo had arrived and was sitting next to Abbey. She was holding his hands while she was in deep thought about what was happening in surgery. She knew how serious it was and how dangerous it could be for him. A recent heart attack and then extensive surgery on top of that. She knew if Jed made it, his recovery would take a long time. Then add in his multiple sclerosis on top of that and the odds were not in his favor.

Leo saw Abbey tear up. He squeezed her hands. "He'll be okay, Abbey. He just has to be."

Abbey looked into Leo's eyes and knew then that she had to come clean with him. She had to tell him about the secret that she and Jed had kept hidden for at least the past seven years. Jed's best friend and Chief of Staff had to be told the truth.

"Girls, why don't you go get some air? I'll stay here with Leo in case there's some news."

Reluctantly, the girls agreed. Abbey was relieved. Maybe privacy would make this revelation a little easier for Leo to take. But she doubted it. It would be a shock, no matter how it was delivered.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Leo, I have to tell you something."

"What?"

For so many years, this secret had been kept. Had to be kept. But now, she had to break down the barriers and let another person in on the secret. She trusted Leo with her life. She hoped she could trust him with this.

"Leo, I need to tell you something. Only a few people know about this. The girls. His doctor, and Dr. Hackett. I think this is the time that you also should know."

Abbey looked at her hands. She couldn't bring herself to look Leo directly.

"What is it? Abbey?"

"He has multiple sclerosis, Leo."

Leo looked at Abbey, shocked for a number of reasons. Shocked for just now hearing about such a serious illness in the President of the United States. Shocked that his life-long friend is ill. And shocked that he was never told.

"Abbey, why, why didn't you tell me this before? How long have you known? What is his prognosis?"

Abbey looked into Leo's eyes, trying not to let her tears hinder the answers that Leo needed. That he deserved.

"I knew something was wrong. I see you trying to cover the panic. I see you prescribing medication. I think you're giving him shots."

"It was diagnosed about seven years ago. His life expectancy is normal. His particular course of MS is called relapsing-remitting, which means he should experience total recovery after attacks. I give him injections of something called betaseron, and that reduces the frequency. Fever and stress tend to be two things that will induce an attack."

"Why wasn't I told about this before?" Leo was trying not to feel hurt. He was deeply concerned about his best friend's health, but he was hurt more because they had withheld the information.

"Both Jed and I decided that it would be best not to share it. And then the campaign started getting out of control and he won more and more delegates. Pretty soon, we were scared to release it. Jed wanted to be President and he was afraid that this news would be the end of his campaign. Except for one time during the campaign, he has been relapse free so we tried to push it as far away from our minds as we could. Denial has worked. Worked at least until now."

Abbey looked at Leo, hoping to see forgiveness in his eyes. She knew how hurt he was and she wished things were different, but they weren't.

Leo so wanted to forgive Abbey, to forgive Jed. Right now, both of them needed his support. But later, he knew it would have to be discussed.

"I'm okay. You and Jed need me right now. And I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Leo." Abbey leaned forward and hugged Leo. "Thanks," she whispered softly.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It had been five long hours since surgery had started. Dr. Martin had kept them updated, but they had heard nothing for the past ninety minutes. The last update said that the team had finished four of the five grafts and was working on the last one.

But Abbey knew something had gone wrong. Besides her medical knowledge, her gut was telling her that there was some kind of crisis on the OR.

Was Jed okay? Was he even still alive? She knew that the surgery was complex and life-threatening to certain people. Especially if there were unforeseen complications.

She paced the room until Ellie forced her to sit down. She was so restless sitting that finally Ellie told her to get back up and pace.

An hour later the phone rang. Abbey grabbed the receiver and held her breath.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Bartlet, this is the nurse in the OR. Dr. Martin asked me to tell you that the President is in ICU and he is on his way to talk with you."

"Thank you. We'll be here."

Abbey turned and relayed the news to her family and Leo. The girls hugged their mother, relived that the surgery was over. But Abbey was not relieved. She had a gut feeling that all was not well.

Dr. Martin arrived a few minutes later. Abbey took one look at her colleague and knew the news was not going to be good. She tried to brace herself for the fallout.

"Mrs. Bartlet," nodding to the others.

Abbey knew that introductions were in order, but she was too anxious to hear what he was going to say.

"How is he?" She was torn between needing to know and fearful of what he had to say.

"The President is in ICU and we're stabilizing him right now. The surgery went well until the last two hours." Dr. Martin looked at Abbey and saw the fear in her face.

"Why don't you sit down, Mrs. Bartlet, and I'll finish." He motioned to an empty chair.

Abbey sat down without even thinking where she was going. Ellie and Zoey had come over and were holding each of her hands.

"Please continue."

"He did well through the first four grafts. But then we had some difficulty with the fifth graft. We couldn't get a proper seal on the suture lines. The location of the graft made it difficult to get a good seal, but after some struggle we were satisfied. Then, as he was being taken off bypass, we had some difficulty getting his heart restarted."

Abbey's own heart sank with that news.

"I'm going to be very honest with you. Because how recent the heart attack is and the severity of it, his heart muscle is weak at the moment. But we were finally able to complete the surgery. He's in ICU right now, critical but stable. But as you know, there are still possible complications. We will just have to watch him closely and be ready to act if we need to."

Abbey nodded. She had said those exact words to many, many people. Some had gone on to have their loved ones go home. But then the others…

'No. I can't think that way. Jed will be okay. He just has to be.'


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Can I see him?"

Abbey just had to touch him, to connect with him, to let him know that he had to fight.

At first, Dr. Martin was going to say no. Families rarely got to go to ICU right after surgery. But this was a special case. He knew that the First Lady was a thoracic surgeon herself and knew what to expect. He also knew that she was a person who loved her husband deeply and would be of help in his fight for life.

"Okay. Just give us a few more minutes and I'll let you see him. ICU is just down the hall from here and I'll come and get you."

"Thanks." Abbey appreciated all that he was doing.

Abbey took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she would find. As a surgeon, she knew the routine equipment required after this type of surgery. But the thought of it being on her husband, of it working to keep him alive, hit her hard.

As she saw Jed for the first time, her knees began to buckle. But she grabbed the bedrails to steady herself, and then moved on.

She walked to the side of the bed and reached for his hand.

Then, the physician took over and she began to assess his condition. He was on a ventilator, monitor leads snaked from his chest, a long white bandage covered his sternum, and a small catheter snaked from the side of his neck to a monitor above. She knew that this was monitoring the strength of his heart muscle contractions. Glancing up to read it, she interpreted the readings as weak. That was to be expected, given the circumstances. His hand was cool and his skin pale.

She brought his hand up to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss. "Okay, Jed. Your surgery is over and now you have to fight. You have to want to live. We want you back. Do you hear me? I love you so much, Pumpkin."

Of course, he didn't hear her. But she hoped at some level those words would register. Abbey wanted to apologize for fighting with him the last few days, but right now all she wanted him to know was that she loved him and wanted him back.

"Everybody is pulling for you. Ellie, Zoey, and Leo are here. Liz will be down later today. They all send their love."

Tears were forming in her eyes. But she was fighting not to let them fall.

"Jed, you have to fight. You can be very stubborn and this is one of those times I need for you to be that way. Please, Jed. Please act like the jackass that I love."

"I need you Jed. I need you so much."

Another kiss on his hand and she left. Before she got to the main set of doors, the tears she had forcefully held back when by his bedside finally came.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

She rested a minute, leaning against the cool, tile wall while she gathered her strength. She couldn't afford to fall apart quite yet. Drying her tears, Abbey returned to the family room, where she informed the rest of them how Jed was. Now they waited again.

By two am everybody was falling asleep where they sat. Abbey and Leo persuaded the two girls to go back to the White House to rest. Then they each lay down on the sofas and tried to get some rest.

Abbey's sleep was restless. She kept hearing Jed call to her, but she couldn't see him.

Finally about five, Abbey got up to check. Leo was still asleep so she quietly left the room and made her way down the hall.

Nodding to the agent posted outside the door, she entered the ICU, and went over to the cubicle where Jed's bed was. However, he was not alone. Dr. Martin and two nurses were by his bed, attempting to do something with his dressing.

"Is there something wrong?"

The professionals turned with surprise. They looked at Abbey and then continued to do whatever they were doing. Finally Abbey realized that the dressing was saturated with blood.

"He's hemorrhaging," her voice just a whisper from the shock.

"Yes, ma'am. I was just coming to tell you that we have to take him back to surgery. We need to find the source of this blood and get it stopped."

Immediately, Jed's bed was wheeled out of his cubicle and out the door, Ron right behind him.

Abbey didn't have any time to say goodbye. She stood frozen in place until Dr. Martin gently took her elbow and guided her back to the family room. "If you will excuse me…"

Abbey remained there until the door opened and Leo almost walked into her.

"Abbey, what's wrong?" One look into her eyes, and he knew it wasn't good.

"He's dying, Leo. He's dying."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Leo felt no better after Abbey explained to him what was going on. "What do you think?"

Abbey shook her head as she reentered the room. "I don't know. It looked pretty bad. I know they have thinned his blood and hopefully it's actually less than how it looks. I just don't know."

"Do you want me to call the girls to come back?"

"Yes. And call Liz. Tell her to get down here right now. I'm going to the chapel. Call me if there's any news."

"Sure."

Abbey finished with her prayers and got up to leave. She saw Zoey and Ellie kneeling behind her. She waited until they were finished and then went toward them. Comfort in numbers. Maybe that would help.

"Mom, what do you think? Will Dad be okay?"

Abbey looked into her youngest eyes. Eyes that pleaded with her to give her the news that her father would be okay.

"I don't know, Zoey. It's not good that they had to take him back to surgery. But you know your Dad. He's a fighter. He doesn't take no for an answer. We just have to wait for the doctors to tell us about him."

Abbey looked at Ellie, knowing full well that she could see through her mother's smokescreen. They both knew that this was not a good sign and that he could very well die on the table. But to Abbey's relief, Ellie didn't say anything. She also wanted to hope that things would work out and didn't want to upset Zoey with her thoughts. It was better if Zoey didn't know the worst case scenario.

As they made their way back to the room, Abbey saw Dr. Martin coming down the hall. She looked at her watch and realized it had only been two hours since Jed had left for his second surgery.

Too soon for good news. It must be bad.

Abbey prayed silently for strength to handle whatever the outcome. It was not in her hands.

Leo had just come out of the family room and walked over to stand by Abbey. He knew the next words from the surgeon could shatter her universe or make it whole again.

"Mrs. Bartlet, girls, I've just come from the operating room. The President is…"

Abbey couldn't hear his next words. She just knew they were words that she didn't want to hear.

"…stable. The source of the bleeding turned out to be the suture line on his chest. We have fixed that and the bleeding appears to have stopped. Of course, we'll continue to monitor him very closely."

'Stable? Did the doctor say stable?' Abbey thought her ears were playing tricks on a very tired brain.

"Excuse me, Dr. Martin, did you say stable? I thought, I thought with all that blood…" Abbey left the other words unspoken.

"Yes, ma'am. It looked worse than it actually was. We've decreased the amount of blood thinner and that should also help. Would you like to see him? In fact, I think everybody, one at a time, can take a quick glance. Just don't stay too long."

Abbey motioned for Zoey and Ellie to go first and then she would follow. First, though, she had to put herself back together.

She and Leo went back inside and sat down. "Leo, I just knew Jed was dying. I just knew it. I dreamed that he was talking to me but I couldn't see him. No matter how hard I would try, I just couldn't see him."

"I understand, Abbey. Now, it's time for you to let go. You know you don't have to be strong with me."

Permission to cry was all that Abbey needed. Tears poured from her eyes. Sobs racked her body as Leo pulled her in and hugged until the sorrow and relief had passed.

Shortly, she pulled back and wiped her face. "I need to see him. Go with me?"

"Of course, Abbey. Of course. I'm here for both of you."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Leo returned to the White House. He would be mentoring the Vice-President over the next two months and making sure he didn't get too comfortable in the chair. It would only be temporary, but there had to be a President during Jed's recovery which would be lengthy and slow.

"Doctor Martin?"

"Yes?"

Abbey was talking quietly with the doctor outside the ICU.

"Tell me the truth. How is my husband? What's his prognosis?"

"Mrs. Bartlet, he's as stable as any patient can be in this situation. It was rough there for a little while, but something has kicked in and he's getting stronger. He's still not ready to be extubated but that should come soon. That's really the next hurdle. But his vitals are getting stronger as each hour passes and we see no further evidence of bleeding."

"Do you think I can take a shower? I hate to be away from him for any length of time, but it has been over twenty-four hours since he was brought in and I hate for him to see me so disheveled. I mean, when he wakes up, I want him to see his wife looking good instead of like crap."

Dr. Martin smiled. He also wanted nothing more than to take a shower and a quick nap at the first available bed.

"I think it'll be okay. Your daughters are here and they can come get you if there's a problem. But I really don't think there will be."

Abbey smiled. "Thanks for the reassurance. I think I'll go find a nice hot shower. And then maybe you can wake him up?"

Dr. Martin laughed. "Mrs. Bartlet, you know better. It's now up to the President when he's going to wake up."

For the first time in hours, a small smile crossed Abbey's face. "Doesn't hurt to ask does it?"

"No, ma'am. But the person to ask is in there," pointing to ICU. "It's now all up to him."

She nodded. "Yeah, and he can be totally stubborn too."

Both doctors laughed. Finally, some of the tension had been broken. All Abbey could hope for now was a complete recovery.

The next step was to wean him off the ventilator.

That didn't happen until post-op day two.

When he was able to breathe on his own, Abbey finally relaxed.

"Hi, babe. How're you feeling?" as she pushed some of that unruly hair out of his face.

He opened his eyes and smiled weakly. "Fine," barely above a whisper.

"Don't try and speak right now. Your throat is irritated from the breathing tube. You've been through a lot. Just rest."

"Okay" was mouthed back. He slipped back into a healing sleep, just what the doctor ordered. Abbey continued to brush her hand across his face, knowing how lucky she was to have him still with her.

Quietly, she finally spoke the words that had been in her mind since this all began. "There'll be some changes made, Jed. And you aren't going to like them at all."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Two days later, Jed was in GW's Presidential suite, attempting to walk for the first time. Shaky, but making it. He had just returned to the chair when the door opened. Leo and Abbey walked in, smiling when they saw where he was.

"Abbey. Leo. Good to see you."

"Hi, babe."

Abbey came over and placed a kiss on his forehead, then went back to stand next to Leo.

He quickly noticed that Abbey and Leo were exchanging glances.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

Leo looked at Abbey and she looked at him.

"Oh, hell. Why do you keep looking at each other?"

Abbey shrugged her shoulders. "Leo knows."

"Knows what?"

"About the MS."

Looking surprised, Jed looked at his best friend for a response. Obviously Abbey had told Leo sometime in the past few days so it wasn't like it had just hit him. He had had time to digest it.

"How do you feel about it?"

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have been a friend to you."

"You have been, Leo. You have been."

Leo leaned down to hug his friend. "Jed, don't keep anything from me again. This is your friend speaking, not your Chief of Staff." He stood back up just as his cell phone rang. After listening to the conversation, Leo closed the case. "Gotta go." Seeing the worried expression on the President's face, Leo smiled. "No Mr. President, this is not something you need to worry about. You get better. That's all you should worry about."

Abbey sat down next to Jed and looked back at Leo. "That's all he will worry about too. At least for the next two months."

"Two months!"

"Yes, babe. Two months. Maybe six weeks if you behave yourself. And I won't hear of anything less."

"But Abbey…"

Jed saw the expression on his wife's face. He knew that the final word had been said. And that there would be no discussion of it any further. "Yes, dear."

Laughter filled the hospital room.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Two weeks later, Jed and Abbey were resting in the Residence. The Vice-President was doing fine so Jed was in no hurry to return. Besides, Abbey wouldn't even talk to him about it. They both knew he had been lucky.

"Abbey, I need to ask you something."

"Sure babe." She walked over and sat down next to her husband, who was lying on the sofa. She gently pulled his still sore legs down to the floor so she could sit as close as possible.

"Leo, how did he take the news? I mean when you first told him about the MS? Was he angry at us for keeping this from him?"

"Well, how did he seem to you?"

"I couldn't tell any difference. But then he had had time to digest the information. So how did he respond to you?"

Abbey took Jed's hand and squeezed it. "I think he was hurt. Hurt that we didn't trust him with this important information. But he continued to be my rock. My support." Looking into her husband's very blue eyes, she continued. "I was scared, Jed. Scared I would never see you again. Never hold you again. I was scared and Leo supported me. That's what friends do for other friends."

Jed reached out and drew Abbey into a loose hug. "I know you were scared. I was too. Our last discussion was full of angry words. And I didn't want you to remember me that way."

Abbey drew away and gently tapped his chest. "Hell yeah, I was angry. You don't take care of yourself. You eat junk. You stay up to all hours of the night. You get very little sleep. And relaxation, hell, I don't even think it's in your dictionary." Tears started to fall. "Then you don't tell me you're sick. Of course I'm angry. I love you Jed. This scared me to death. I can't lose you. You are my life."

"Shhhh, Abbey," drawing her back into his embrace, resting her head on his chest. His heart beat told her that he was alive. "You are my life as well."

"Jed?"

"Yes?"

"You need to change. Change what you eat, change your lifestyle. Try and get some more rest."

"Abbey, you're managing my life again."

"Yes I am. I love you and I will manage your life so you will have a life. And Jed?"

"Yes dear?"

She pulled away again. "Next time, you call me. I don't care if Canada is invading Michigan. Next time you aren't feeling well, you call me."

Jed laughed, realizing quickly that his incision was still fresh. He put his hand on his chest and smiled at his wife. "Yes, Abbey. I'll call you."

He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Abbey's lips. "I love you."

As Abbey returned the kiss, she spoke from her heart as well. "I love you too Jed. And I want you here for a long time."

Jed smiled. "Yes, babe. My heart hears you loud and clear."

THE END


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